Sophie: Spreading a Message of Hope for Recovery

Sophie

A woman with a history of self-esteem issues shares her story of recovery from alcohol and drug use.

Sophie
Young Person in Recovery
Houston, TX

The symptoms of my alcoholism and drug addiction appeared long before I decided to pick up and use. Growing up I had very low self-esteem. I had low self-worth and I didn’t know there was a solution out there for the things that were taking place internally. I was emotionally unstable.

Mentally, I knew there were a lot of things that were wrong with me, but I had no idea how to ask for help and talk about them–so I acted out. I destroyed several different aspects of my life. Socially, I didn’t really have many friends, so I connected with a lot of people that used. I had a really chaotic family life. I fell off the radar for a really long time, but I showed up making good grades, playing sports, doing things that kept my parents’ attention off of me and my acting out.

Before I got into recovery, I had no idea who I was. Getting into recovery, having the opportunity to go to a sober high school, and connecting with people who have the same goals as I do, has allowed me to be the young woman that I am today. Through recovery, I have regained my true potential that I thought drug addiction and alcoholism had taken from me.

This spring I’ll be three years sober. In the fall I will be headed to a university. I hope to spread the message that there is a solution, and there is hope for other people who have been through the same things that I have.

Recovery Month promotes the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance use disorders, celebrates people in recovery, lauds the contributions of treatment and service providers, and promotes the message that recovery in all its forms is possible. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can and do recover.